Industrial robot assembly

Abstract

An industrial robot assembly comprises a support body including a station portion and a vertically translatable portion. A tapered arm member is mounted to the translatable portion of the support for rotation about a first vertically oriented axis, and an angle lever is mounted to the tapered arm member at a point spaced from the first axis for rotation about a second axis parallel to and spaced from the first axis. A first electric motor is operatively connected to the arm member for rotating that member about the first axis, while a second electric motor is operatively connected to the angle lever for rotating that lever about the second axis. A translatable and rotatably component for carrying grippers or another workpiece-manipulating element is mounted to the angle lever at a point spaced from the second axis. A third electric motor and a lifting drive are operatively coupled to the holder component for translating the component and for rotating that component about a third axis, respectively. The electric motors are all mounted to the arm member, the lifting drive being mounted to the angle lever.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An industrial robot assembly comprising: a support;   a first arm member mounted to said support for rotation about a first axis, said first arm member having a fork-like extension spaced from said first axis;   first drive means for rotating said first arm member about said first axis, said first drive means including a first electric motor and an associated transmission both mounted to said first arm member, said first electric motor having an axis of rotor rotation oriented parallel to said first axis, said first drive means further including a first pinion meshing with a first gear rigidly attached to said support;   a seond arm member having a first portion mounted to said first arm member in said fork-like extension for rotation about a second axis parallel to and spaced from said first axis, said second arm member having a second portion joined to said first portion at an end thereof opposite said second axis, said second portion extending at an angle with respect to said first portion, whereby said second arm member takes the form of an angle lever;   second drive means operatively connected to said second arm member for rotating same about said second axis, said second drive means including a second electric motor and an associated transmission both mounted to said first arm member, said second electric motor having an axis of rotor rotation oriented parallel to said first and second axis, second drive means further including a second pinion meshing with a second gear, said second gear being mounted around said second axis and drivingly connected to said second arm member by at least one driver element spaced from an axis of rotation of said second gear;   holder means mounted to said second arm member at a point spaced from said second axis for carrying means for operating on a workpiece; and   third drive means for rotating a component of said holder means about a third axis, said third drive means including a third electric motor mounted to said first arm member and further including a serrated power transmission belt coupled to said component.   
     
     
       2. The robot assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said support includes a movable component translatable in a direction parallel to said first axis, said first arm member being rotatably mounted to said movable component, whereby said first arm member, said angle lever and said actuator means are shiftable parallel to said first axis. 
     
     
       3. The robot assembly defined in claim 2 wherein said first axis and said second axis are vertical axes. 
     
     
       4. The robot assembly defined in claim 2 wherein said first arm member has a first end spaced from said first axis and said angle lever has a second end spaced from said second axis, said fork-like extension being disposed at said first end, said holder means being mounted to said angle lever at said second end. 
     
     
       5. The robot assembly defined in claim 4 wherein said first axis is located at an end of said first arm member opposite said first end, said second axis being located at said first end. 
     
     
       6. The robot assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said support includes a movable component translatable in a direction parallel to said first axis, said first arm member being rotatably mounted to said movable component, whereby said first arm member, said second arm member and said holder means are shiftable parallel to said first axis. 
     
     
       7. The robot assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said first axis and said second axis are vertical axes.